Marcus Aurelius

Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, last of the Five Good Emperors.

The Stoic philosopher and Roman ruler Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was born on 26 April 121 and died on 17 March 180, serving as emperor from 161 until his death.^[1][2]

Last updated 2026-09-30 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Reign: 7 March 161 – 17 March 180
Predecessor: Antoninus Pius
Successor: Commodus
Regent: Lucius Verus (161–169), Commodus (177–180)
Born: 26 April 121
Birthplace: Rome
Died: 17 March 180
Place of death: Vindobona, Pannonia Superior, or Sirmium, Pannonia Inferior

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Numerous military engagements characterized the period when Marcus Aurelius governed the Roman Empire.^[3] Through the Marcomannic Wars, Marcus achieved victories over the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Iazyges.^[3] These Germanic tribes, along with others, started posing a serious challenge to the Empire.^[3] Christian persecution likely grew under his rule, yet no Christian records hold him responsible, and both Justin Martyr and Tertullian offered him praise.^[3]

A devastating plague, known as the Antonine Plague, emerged around 165 or 166, killing between five and ten million people across the population.^[3]

What the cited sources add

The Dictionary.com entry states Marcus Annius Verus was a Stoic philosopher and writer.^[2] A 2026 article notes that an ancient bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius returned to Turkish soil after decades abroad.^[2] The same article describes Marcus Aurelius as a controversial figure to scholars, despite a lustrous popular image from the 2000 film “Gladiator.”.^[2] Denarii dating from the late Roman Republic to the reign of Marcus Aurelius and his wife Faustina were found at Barton Bendish, Norfolk.^[2]

References

Wikipedia, "Marcus Aurelius" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: 'Marcus Aurelius' . Dictionary.com. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
'Marcus Aurelius' . Dictionary.com.. facts only, no text reused. dictionary.com
Wikipedia, "Marcus Aurelius" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Keresztes, "Marcus Aurelius a Persecutor?", Harvard Theological Review, July 1968, p. 321–341 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Marcus Aurelius (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.